Zoned-Off … Part II—I Have You

The rain fell heavily and the streets were empty, with only the randomly placed street lamps brightening the town. Shops had closed and an air of loneliness hung in the air.

"Zeke, I'm cold," Maii said. They sat together in the little shelter that had become their home since the Orphanage had been burnt to the ground by an Arisen.

It stood up between two brick walls, held up my metal rods with a roof of aluminium sheets and cardboard they'd found by the river that ran South of the town.

"Come closer," the ten-year-old Zeke said and his sister snuggled closer.

The rain poured heavily. They were safe from the downpour under their makeshift house. But the cold stabbed at them relentlessly. And their simple clothes: t-shirt, shorts, sleeveless top, skirt, did little to stop it.

"Zeke," Maii said, staring blankly at the shivering puddles on the street before them. "Why did we leave the orphanage?"

Zeke felt like crying. But not out of grief. Out of sheer anger. Their parents had gone off somewhere and never returned. So they'd been taken in by an orphanage. And then the orphanage burns down.

His body seemed to tighten and he felt his hands claw his skin, not caring for the pain. His teeth forced against each other.

What could he tell her? She was asleep when the monster had attacked. He'd grabbed her and run, only to arrive two hours later to find nothing but ashes wet from the fire-engine's water jets.

And the little silver thing he'd found in the rubble. He had it now in his pocket. It was metal and the size of his palm. A ring, with a plus-shape in the middle and a diamond-shaped crest.

"It was destroyed," Zeke said, forcing his anger down enough to give her a calm answer, but the rage boiled back.

"By whom?" Maii asked innocently and her questions filled him with sadness, rain to the thunderstorm that was the anger he felt. A torrent of emotions created to make him cry.

"A monster," Zeke said, his sentences clipped. No point in lying.

"So . . ." Maii said, her voice starting to shake, "there's no-one left for us?"

Zeke lowered his head. Tears broke his eyelids and rolled down his cheeks as he forced his lips together to avoid anything escaping.

"Zeke," Maii said and he couldn't look her in the eyes, "are we alone now?"

A sob rose and he tried to force it back, but it escaped as a grunt.

He knew he had to be strong. He had to be the older brother.

"N—," he began, checking to see if he'd starting howling. But he found a steady ground to speak. "No."

He looked at her. "You have me," he said, finally finding the courage to look at her. "And I have you."

He pulled her closer. As close as he ever could have. "And the world can abandon us as much it likes!" he said, feeling the emotions return and tears resume. "But it won't!" He looked at her, gripping her shoulders tightly. "Okay? It won't!"

She looked at him for a second, her eyes boring into his.

And then she hugged him around the chest. "Okay," she said shakily. And then more firmly. "Okay! I love you Zeke."

"I love you too," Zeke replied, embracing her back whilst seeing the silver thing next to him.